Carving Out Our Prophecy
by SomeRandomFicWriter
Summary: Four souls who can change the fate of the world... those who were touched by the gods and goddesses. As the prophecy dictated the future, the gods themselves began to make their move. How will their influence affect the mortal realm? Who are these four souls, and what will they do? (Gods & Goddess AU)
1. Bless This Wonderful World

_I'm still alive! Somewhat... I'm sorry for not updating for a while_

* * *

The day was calm as many figures gathered around a large hearth, the sun was beginning to rise as sunlight gleamed off marble structures. Everyone that gathered donned a different attire, from wearing plated armor to silk robes that blew with the breeze. They all crowded around an elderly woman in the center, her hair was gray as her skin was wrinkled from age. She wore red robes and a red veil over her head as she sat next to the fire pit, her hands were shaking as she held a small orb.

"Why are we all gathered here, Oracle?" A blonde woman asked from the crowd, her green eyes stared at the elder lady in confusion as she folded her arms.

"She has a point, never in history have you called for us- let alone this many." A white-haired man added, his bronze eyes were full of concern and uncertainty.

"Did something happen? Is there something on the horizon?" A red-haired woman spoke as she joined in, her bronze armor glinted with the sunlight.

"Hush! Let her speak!" A white-haired woman stepped forward, glaring at everyone until they were quiet.

"Thank you, Widow." The older woman said before facing everyone, "There's something coming, something far larger than we have ever experienced."

"Is that why you summoned us here? What kind of disaster could be that menacing?" A large man questioned, he had black hair and towered over most of the people around him- although he kept his tone polite and quiet.

"I am uncertain, only the prophecy can give us insight on what's to come." The Oracle answered.

Everyone waited for the sun to rise overhead, once it positioned itself directly over the Oracle- the crystal orb began to glow in a bright white light. A moment later it shifted into yellow, then black, and finally red before it shattered into many fragments. The shards floated in the air as they began to orbit around the Oracle's head, each flashing a different color, the elder woman suddenly arched her back as she stared towards the sun above.

The fragments froze in the air as they shifted to a green light, the Oracle then stood up straight as her eyes glowed in a similar fashion as the floating crystals.

"Four souls intertwine with fate, brave souls from all the realms. Each soul touched by the Gods and Goddesses, and have the power to change the world and it's inhabitants. These four will lead the world into greatness, or drag it into a dark age for a millennium." Her voice was amplified by many other voices, her eyes flickered before she collapsed on the spot.

The two closest people caught her as the shards reformed back into the crystal orb that landed with a thud. The two who caught the Oracle carefully escorted her away as everyone began to elaborate what the elder had just predicted.

"Four souls? From all the realms?"

"Have the power to change the world? Preposterous!"

"-touched by gods... was she referring to-"

"Demigods."

That one term had everyone turned towards the person who said that term. All eyes fell on a black-haired woman, her hair was parted to cover her left eye but her other eye was bright amber.

"Cinder, what are you implying?" The white-haired man questioned.

"Don't you realize what she said, Ozpin? Souls touched by gods and goddesses, souls guided by _us_." The black-haired woman had a wicked smile on her face as she began to walk towards the gates.

"Where are you going?" Ozpin demanded.

"Times are changing, old man. Maybe it's about time that us lesser gods can rise up." Cinder said as she left the hearth.

Silence settled in for a short moment before other gods and goddesses began to leave, each of them muttering the same things the black-haired goddess had uttered prior. Only a few remained as everyone cleared out of the hearth, Ozpin let out a long sigh as the blonde-haired goddess approached him.

"Do you believe that Cinder is correct?" She asked.

"She may be, she may not, Glynda. All I know is that the times are changing, for the best or for the worse."

* * *

 **500 years later**

The sun began to slowly rise over the mountain range, letting a ray of light into the small room. The birds chirped outside as the curtains blew from the morning breeze, all of this did _not_ help with her raging hangover. She felt like someone was hammering her head with a large mallet as she tried to rub her bleary eyes. She sat upright in her bed, the sheets falling down- outlining around her body.

She brushed her blonde hair away from her face before she stretched, letting out a groan as her muscles ached from the night before. Her room only had a bed with a chest in front of it with her belongings, the walls were olive green while the curtains were dusty brown. The blonde-haired girl quickly got dressed and gathered her belongings before she left the room.

She wore a dark orange tunic with brown leather pants, soon after she fastened on a leather breastplate and plated shoulder pads- along with her metal boots. She stifled a yawn as she made her way down the stairs, her bag bouncing against her back as she took each step down. The hungover girl found herself in the first floor of the inn, where the owner of the establishment waved to her.

"Xiao Long! Up already aren't ya?" He greeted, he was a short man with a brown bushy beard with a green head wrap over her head.

"You know it, old man." Yang replied back as she took a seat at the counter, "Got anything for hangovers?"

"One moment." The owner replied as he disappeared into the back.

The blonde girl let out a groan as she rested her head on the counter, the pounding less painful but the pain was still present. A moment later a tankard and a plate with small tannish vegetables was placed in front of her.

"Water and crystalized ginger, on the house." He said before tending to another customer.

Yang didn't waste any time as she drank the tankard, her headache was already feeling better with every sip she took. She set the tankard down and plopped a piece of ginger in her mouth, the sweet and tangy taste soothed her hangover.

"Thanks." The blonde girl said as she took a another swig of water, "What's the occasion?"

"It's my way of saying thanks, for last night." The brown-haired man said.

"Ah... right. Sorry for breaking your window."

"It's fine, the guy was making a scene anyway. Not to mention you've already paid up for it, before you got drunk."

"Did I?" Yang asked as she tried to remember, "I did! Thanks for reminding me."

The owner rolled his eyes as he went back to work. The blonde girl finished up the rest of her water and waved her goodbye to the inn owner before she stepped out onto the streets. The small town of Patch was a quaint little village on the border of the North and East territories, because of this- there were mixed races living amongst each other.

The Dwarves lived in the Northern Mountains, deep within the Mountains of Glenn, the Elves lived towards the South, where all the lush forests hid their cities and their civilization. Humans lived in the East, on the plains or in the grasslands were their castles and villages stood out from the frontier. Lastly towards the West, were the Beastfallen- people who had animalistic traits and could transform into beasts themselves.

At first, each of these races despised one another, until that one event that changed the realms forever. Hundreds of years ago, individuals were blessed by the divine as many claimed to meet a god or a goddess. These encounters spread like wildfires among the races, at first they were treated as rumors or simply called insane by the masses- but as the years passed, more and more people were convinced by the present of the great gods above.

Because of these gods and goddess, their influence remained present in everyday life. Religious sigils, symbols, and idols dotted the streets, as offerings to their deity, while everyone wore a mark of a pin that represented which divinity they sided with. Several women were saying their prayers in front of different idols while the men were cleaning their sigils.

Yang walked past the crowds, passing humans and dwarves alike until she found herself in front of a large building. The establishment was a two story building, with clear windows and white walls that coated the exterior. The blonde girl took a deep breath before she entered, immediately she was greeted by many people- all dressed in steel armor or uniforms.

"Hello, can I help you?" A feminine voice called from the counter, she was dressed in one of the said uniforms with several metallic crests behind her. One was shaped as small shield with a spear in the center, another was a lotus flower, and the last was two crescent arcs facing upwards.

"Yes, are there any new bounties posted?" Yang asked.

"There are, new ones were just added hours ago." The receptionist answered back.

The blonde girl nodded in response before she made her way towards the back of the room. It didn't take her long until she was greeted with a large wooden board with several bounties listed.

'Kill a griffin... no. Search for a lost party of gatherers? Nah, it'll take too long. Ooh!' Yang reached to grab the bounty- only for it to be snatched away right before her. She turned towards the culprit, only to face a short white-haired girl, she had her hair in a sideways ponytail and wore a white robe that faded into light blue towards the sleeves.

"Excuse me Miss, but I was going to take that bounty." Yang said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Too bad, I got my hands on it first." The white-haired girl replied as she smirked.

"I don't believe you heard me, I said _I_ was going to take that bounty."

"Oh what are you going to do? Fight me for it?"

"If you're asking-"

"Break it up Weiss, what did I tell you about starting a scene?" A new voice joined in on the conversation, causing Yang to turn her head towards the newcomer. A girl with jet black hair approached them, her amber eyes glowed as her cat ears twitched. Unlike the shorter girl, she wore a gray leather vest with a sleeveless purple undershirt. She had black leggings and a metallic gauntlet attached to both of her arms, with three blades on each of them.

'A Beastfallen? All the way down here?' Yang thought to herself.

"I'm sorry Blake, but this... _ruffian_ started it." Weiss said as she crossed her arms and turned her head away from Yang.

"This ruffian can hear you, you stupid brat." The blonde girl stated.

"What did you say?! Do you know who you're talking to?" The short girl snapped.

Before Yang could continue, Blake stepped in between them and push them apart. The ravenette let out a sigh as she turned towards Yang.

"I'm sorry for whatever my companion did to upset you." The Beastfallen apologized.

"It's cool, as long as she hands me that bounty- I'll be on my way."

"You're arguing... over a bounty?" Blake asked with a brow raised.

"Yeah. Got to pay for food somehow." Yang replied.

"For the love of the gods-" The ebony-haired girl muttered before pinching the bridge of her nose with her hand, "-look, why don't we all accept the bounty? The guild can pay us our individual amounts and it'll be a lot easier with more people."

"Wha- what are you doing, Blake! I don't want to work with someone like-" Weiss interjected.

"I'll do it."

"...what?" The white-haired girl asked, her voice going several octaves higher.

"I'll tag along, the other bounties would take too long anyway." Yang answered.

"Then it's settled, I'll go inform the receptionist." Blake said as she took the bounty from Weiss' hands and walked over to the counter.

"I'll have you know that I despise you." Weiss muttered.

"Love ya too, flat-chest." Yang jested before she ducked from a tankard flying at her direction.

* * *

After a couple of minutes later, the trio gathered in front of the gate leading out of the town. Blake and Weiss arrived from the marketplace while Yang leaned against the wall for the two. When the black and white duo were approaching the blonde, they quickly noticed that she had a one-handed axe and a small shield.

"Took long enough, did you get enough food for the trip?" Yang asked as she stood upright.

"We have enough rations for five days, the rest of the money was spent on other essentials." Blake replied.

"As long as you don't go through the ration supply, we should be fine until we return back to the town." Weiss reminded.

"Alright, so... we're looking for Fyuthonnas right?" The blonde girl asked.

"Right, they usually grow in the Emerald Forest- near ponds or rivers." The Beastfallen answered.

"Don't stray too far from us, brute. I don't want to be responsible for your death." The white-haired girl added.

"I have a name, you know."

"I'm sorry, did I ask for it?" Weiss reminded.

"Right, forgot that I was talking to a child." Yang mumbled.

"What did you just say?"

"It's nothing, ready to head out?"

"Almost, did you bring your tomes Weiss?" Blake asked.

"Yes, I didn't forget to bring them." The white-haired girl replied as she pulled out a large white covered book.

"Wait, she's a mage?" The axe-wielder questioned as she took a step forward towards the shorter girl.

"She's one of the very few Humans that graduated from Atlas' Magical Arts Academy at her age." The ravenette added.

"Really?" Yang asked in disbelief.

"That's right. I graduated at the top of my class." Weiss stated as she placed her hands on her hips and smirked.

"Uh huh, and how old are you again?"

"N-nineteen." The mage muttered.

Yang said nothing as she had a smug grin on her face, she simply patted Weiss' shoulder before turning towards the ebony-haired girl. "And how old are you?"

"Twenty one, what about you?" Blake said.

"Sixty five." The blondie stated, earning herself odd stares from the two.

"You're joking, right?" Weiss doubted, "There's no way that you're sixty, you would look way older-"

"Unless, you're not human. Aren't you?" The Beastfallen questioned.

"That's right, kitty cat. Yang Xiao Long, from the Dwarves of Mount Glenn- pleasure to meet you."

"Blake Belladonna, as you probably know- I'm a Beastfallen from Vacuo." The ravenette introduced herself.

"Weiss Schnee, a Human noble of Atlas." The white-haired girl followed after.

"A noble _and_ a mage, geez what aren't you Weiss." The dwarf jested.

"A cook, both of us can't make meals or anything." Blake confessed before the mage could defend herself.

"Hey! You didn't need to say that."

"Why not? She's going to know anyway, it's better that we establish this before we run into any complications."

"She's just going to use that just to taunt me!" The mage claimed.

"No I wouldn't, okay I would- but I can't really cook either so..." Yang said.

"Really? You're... what two, maybe three times my age yet you still haven't learned to cook?" Weiss stated.

"Yep." The blonde girl replied while popping the 'p'. "Didn't have much time to learn while smithing, not to mention there were other dwarves who would cook for me."

"I'm still having a tough time believing that you're a dwarf, I mean-" The white-haired girl said as she gestured at the Yang's height. Either she hasn't hit her growth spurt, or the gods were enjoying how almost everyone was taller than her- even the dwarves.

"What are you- oh! Right, I'm technically half dwarf. My father was a dwarf while my mother left the moment I was born."

"Must've been an odd childhood being taller than everyone else." The mage muttered.

"I got used to it, besides at least I'm not as short as you- pipsqueak." The dwarf said with a grin.

"Keep on insulting me and I'll wipe that shit-eating grin off your face." Weiss warned.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Only if you admit that your god or goddess blessed your life with both a flat chest _and_ your short height."

A loud slap was heard, followed up by chuckling from the Beastfallen girl.

* * *

The sun began to set as the trio arrived at the forest, the three trekked through the trees until they found a small clearing near a pond. Small blue lights began to illuminate up around them as they started to set up a small camp. Blake made a small campfire with fallen branches and stones, Weiss casted warding spells around the campsite while Yang pulled out her necklace from under her armor.

Her silver necklace was a large wing that had a circle in the center, Yang held it in her hand as she closed her eyes and quietly prayed.

"Oh divine one of the wind, grant us protection from the weather. May the forecast be gentle and the winds remain calm as we camp."

The metallic charm flashed in a dim white glow before returning back to normal, the dwarf quickly tucked away her necklace as she finished her prayer.

"Hey Yang? Which god or goddess were you just praying to?" Blake asked as she approached the blonde girl.

"Does it matter?" Yang replied.

The Beastfallen's glare narrowed at the dwarf.

"Noted," The blonde girl cleared her throat before she continued, "I was praying to the Nomad Goddess, for protection while we camp for the night."

"You worship the Nomadic Goddess?"

"Yes, is there any problems with that?" Yang asked in a threatening tone.

"No, I was just... surprised, honestly. Most dwarves would worship the Smithing Goddess over the others, let alone the Nomadic Goddess as they would stay in Mountain Glenn for most of their lives." Blake replied.

"Well, you not wrong about that. Most dwarves do stay isolated at the Forge but... I was different from the others, I was more of the odd one out among the other children."

"What, besides your height?" Weiss questioned.

Yang ignored her comment as she continued, "I'm more of an experience it first hand, kind of person. So I wanted to explore the world, see the cities and the people- you know?"

"No, because I never asked about you." Weiss quipped, as she finished casting her spells, "Can you finish up your prayers and help us set up the camp?"

"Geez, how far is the stick up your as-"

"Enough, save your breath for tomorrow. We're going to have a long day looking for Fyuthonnas." Blake said as she stepped in between the two.

"Fine." They both said in union as they both turned their heads away from each other.

The ebony-haired girl grabbed the rations from the supply bag and handed Weiss and Yang one each as they sat around the campfire. This quest was going to be a long one with these two constantly going at each other's throats.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed this new story, I love and hate that I'm adding more and more stories to my growing list. All of my other stories will be eventually updated so don't worry about them being discontinued._


	2. An Unusual Newcomer

_BAM! Surprise update!_

* * *

The cloud were beginning to dot the sky as the trio arrived at the outskirts of Patch. Both Weiss and Blake were holding one bag of herbs while Yang carried two, one bag in each of her hands. Blake was several feet ahead of the two while the white and yellow duo were bickering every step of the way.

"-don't get me started on your fighting style! You jumped out and wrestled the bear!" Weiss fumed as her gaze narrowed at the blonde dwarf.

"To some people, that would be praiseworthy." Yang retorted.

"To _some_ , not the spell caster who was about to electrocute the both of you!"

"If you would've hurried up with your spell, then I wouldn't have need to wrestle the fucking bear!"

"That's because I was charging my tome! Not only have I almost endangered your life, but you wasted one of the charges for my tome!"

"Alright, that's enough arguing. You two are causing a scene." Blake interjected as they passed the gates into the town.

"I'm not the one who started it, it's just that Weiss is making a huge deal about it." Yang countered.

"Because I would've killed you!" The mage elaborated.

"I could've handled it." The dwarf objected.

"Why you-" The white-haired girl was interrupted as a young man crashed into the her, causing both of them to crash to the ground. "Watch it you dolt!"

The man said nothing as he tried to recover from the fall, he clutched a sheathed sword to his chest as he tried to bolt- until a shout was heard behind him.

"Hey asshole! Where do you think you're going!" A feminine voice called out, the figure was dressed in an olive green cloak, with silver embroidery along its edges. The hood obscured most of their face, except the bright silver eyes that were filled with anger as she glared at the man who crashed into Weiss.

The young man let out a yelp as he took off, however the hooded girl was already gaining on him. He didn't even reach the gate before he was tackled to the floor, the girl quickly pried the sword away from him before delivering a sharp kick to the side of his head- knocking him out cold. She took a couple of deep breaths before she unsheathed the sword.

The blade itself glowed in a white and gold gleam in the sunlight, the double edged sword had strange markings that trailed down the center. The crossguard was shaped as a pair of fangs as it formed an outwards ridge above the hilt. There was a lightish blue gem embedded in the center of the guard, casting a turquoise glow.

" _Deo gratias_." She muttered while she sheathed the sword and attached it to her belt. The hooded girl quickly turned around and walked towards the trio, who watched the entire spectacle happen before them. The girl stopped before them and extended her left hand towards Weiss, she wore gloves and had a leather brace attached to her forearm.

"Thank you for stopping him, even if you did crash into him." The silver-eyed girl said, she was roughly about Weiss' height yet most of her attire was covered by her cloak.

"I-it was nothing." The mage replied as she took the offered hand.

"Yeah, because he crashed into _you_. You practically didn't need to move at all." Yang added, as she snickered in the background.

That earned her a solid smack to her arm by the white-haired girl, followed by chuckling from both the hooded girl and the ebony-haired girl.

"I should probably get going, I think I wasted enough of your time." The green-clad girl stated.

"It was nice meeting you-"

"Ruby. My name is Ruby." The silver-eyed girl said as she waved her farewell.

The trio watched her disappear into the crowd before they made to deliver the herbs.

"She seems pretty nice." Weiss said, trying to start up a conversation as they handed over the Fyuthonnas.

"The girl with the hood?" Yang asked, which the white-haired girl nodded. "I wonder where she got that sword from, that thing was a beauty to look at."

"What? You're going to ask her if a dwarf made it?" Blake jested.

"N-no, okay maybe... look even you two saw how well it was made." The dwarf defended.

"We did, but I'm not sure if it was dwarven." The mage pointed out, "I mean, aren't most dwarven designs based around heavy metals and geometric shapes?"

"Most, but there are a couple of artisans who stray from the normal designs to create their own works. I'm surprised you know this Weiss."

"One of my servants is a dwarf. He would usually tell stories to me when I was younger."

"Really? What was his name?" The blonde girl asked with a brow raised.

"Why would I need to tell you? The bounty is over, so that means I don't need to see your face after this." The white-haired girl said with a smirk.

"You're right, welp I guess that's the last I'll be seeing you little miss prissy pants. I'm going to miss teasing you after this."

'I won't' The mage thought to herself just as Blake arrived.

"Here's your payment Yang," the Beastfallen said as she handed the dwarf a sack of gold, "And here's yours Weiss."

"Thanks." The two said in chorus before staring at each other.

"We should rest for the night, we got a long day ahead of ourselves tomorrow." Blake reminded.

"I know, I know. If we wait any longer the pass is going to be blocked by snow for another week or so." Weiss said.

"Wait, pass? Are you talking about the Wind Path?"

'No don't tell me' Weiss dreaded internally.

"I'm actually about to head up there too!"

'I swear to the gods if she says what I think she's going to say'

"Let's go together!" The dwarf said with a large grin.

Weiss swore she heard something snap, either her patience or mind- as she forced out a smile, "Great..."

"I think that might be a wise choice, an extra pair of eyes would be appreciating during the trip. Not to mention that we can buy more rations for the journey." Blake added.

"Why?! I mean why does she need to accompany us?" Weiss protested.

"Because we need more help. Not to offend you, but we're going to need all the help we can get." Blake replied.

"I know, it's just that-" The mage's gaze shifted towards the ground, "-do you really think that she can help?"

"It's a start, Weiss you know we can't do this alone."

"Um what are you two talking about?" Yang interrupted.

"It's nothing," Weiss said before she let out a sigh, "Fine, you can come with us if you want."

"Really?" The dwarf asked, which earned her a glare from the white-haired girl, "Awesome, so when do we head out?"

"At noon by the gate, pack only essentials- we're going to see if we can get through the pass before the snow settles in." The ebony-haired girl answered.

"It's getting late, we should probably check into a tavern." Weiss suggested.

"Alright, I see you two at noon tomorrow. And Weiss-" Yang's eyes narrowed as she wore a smug grin on her face, "-you're going to have to tell me the story later."

"Just leave already."

The dwarf said nothing as she chuckled, soon after she waved her farewell and disappeared into the town.

"Just you know, the next person you recruit has to be better than her." Weiss muttered.

"And if I do?" Blake asked with a brow raised.

"Then you can buy a whole salmon for yourself. With _my_ money."

"Deal."

* * *

The sky was completely covered in clouds, the sky darkening as day began to shift to night. Without warning, droplets of rain began to sprinkle on the town. Fortunately for the Beastfallen girl, she wore her black cloak and used it to shield herself from the rain. She held a sack of gold as she made her way towards the marketplace, looking for rations and water pouches for the upcoming journey.

Just as Blake was in sight of the market, a figure fell in front of her- making a groan of pain as she landed on the stone floor.

"And stay out you long eared nonbeliever!" A short dwarf shouted from his establishment, his hands were on his hips as he stared down the person on the floor.

"Up yours, you rancid hairy pig!"

The ebony-haired girl recognized her voice, she was the same hooded girl from earlier- only this time Blake can see her face completely. The hood that covered her head went down as she stood upright, her crimson tipped hair blew in the breeze while the hairroots were black. Her most notable features was her ears, they were pointed at the tips and were longer than the ones she's seen on Wood Elves.

'She's a High Elf?'

"Don't ever show your disgusting face around here again!" The dwarf shouted as he tossed a vase at the young elf, who easily dodged the projectile.

"Wasn't going to if I have to see yours, you _Morus_." Ruby hissed back as she picked up a random stone on the floor, she pulled back her arm and chucked it right at him. The stone smacked him directly on his forehead, the impact was hard enough to send him flying backwards into his tavern.

"Great, now I have to find another place to stay." The crimsonette muttered to herself, completely unaware of the Beastfallen girl behind her.

"Ahem." Blake cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the hooded elf.

"Oh, uh... you saw all that... um-" Ruby scratched the back of her head as she faced the ebony-haired girl.

"What was that about?" The Beastfallen girl asked.

"Me getting kicked out of the tavern, what does it look like to you?"

"Do you need a place to stay?" Blake asked.

"I'll manage, it's not like I'm staying here or anything."

"And why is that?"

"Do you always asking questions after another?" Ruby questioned.

"Not all the time, but I am curious to know why." The ebony-haired replied.

"I'm traveling somewhere, I'm leaving at first light tomorrow towards Mantle."

"Mantle, what a coincidence. My companions are traveling to Mantle as well."

"Gee, really? Why are you heading up to a desolate town in the middle of nowhere?" The crimsonette said as she narrowed her eyes at Blake.

"My friend and I are gathering clues for a prophecy, pray tell- why are you heading up there?"

"Apparently there's a legendary enchantress up there, I want to get a hold of a couple of scrolls and tomes."

"Interesting, what for?"

"Because I want to, why are you looking for clues in the first place?"

"Because _we_ want to. Look, let's continue our conversation out of the rain."

"I'll pay, if we're eating. Didn't get a chance to cook something before I was evicted." Ruby offered.

"...you know how to cook?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, wait are you asking me to tag along?" The crimsonette said with a brow raised.

"Yes. Would you like to join with us on the journey?"

The rain interrupted the conversation as it began to pour heavier, as larger droplets began to fall from the sky. The red and black duo ran under the nearest roof before the downpour, staying relatively dry. They both stood there for a moment before Ruby resumed the conversation.

"Um- what was your name again?"

"It's Blake, Blake Belladonna." The Beastfallen replied.

"Right... listen, I'm not sure if you would want me to accompany you to Mantle." The elf said before turning away from the ebony-haired girl.

"Why not? Any help is grateful, especially since none of us can actually cook."

"Wait, what have you been living off of when you travel?" Ruby questioned.

"Whatever rations we can get our hands on. So is that a yes or a no?"

The hooded girl shifted her gaze away from Blake's as she began to rub the back of her neck.

"Blake? Your offer is great and all, but I don't think that you'll like someone like me..."

"What do you mean by that? If you think that we'll discriminate you then-"

"No- no, it's not that." The crimsonette raised both of her hands up in defense, "It's... do you remember what that dwarf said as he kicked me out?"

"He called you a racial slur and a nonbeliever, but I don't know what that has to do with-" Blake took a moment to realize what she said, "If you think we're the kind of people that would belittle you because you worship another god-"

"I don't worship _any_ god!" Ruby's voice came out louder than she intended, causing the Beastfallen girl to take a step back from the sudden outburst.

"You don't... worship any of the gods?" The ebony-haired girl asked hesitantly.

The elf said nothing in response as she turned her head away from her. Blake bit her lip, this wasn't something she expected- everyone she knew worshiped one of the many gods either one of the popular ones or the lesser known ones. Worshiping a god came with many benefits that outweigh the negatives, the person would receive a blessing that enhances their physique or skills- the only drawback are the rivals that oppose your chosen god or goddess.

To simple refuse this kind of power is practically unheard of, until now. Blake wanted to ask more questions about why, but she held her tongue- she probably had many reasons not to worship. The ebony-haired girl cleared her throat to get the crimsonette's attention before she continued.

"My offer still stands, if you want to join along with us you can." The Beastfallen said, her voice unwavering.

Ruby's head whipped back to face Blake's, her eyes widened in surprise as her mouth hung open. "Are you sure?"

The elf's question was answered with a nod.

"Then I accept your offer, if you don't mind me asking but... where's your companions?"

"The white-haired mage is staying with me in a tavern, as for the blonde dwarf-"

"Wait, she's a dwarf?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, she is."

"But she's so tall!"

"That was Weiss' same reaction. I'm not sure where she went, probably staying at another tavern or an inn."

"Damn, alright- I guess that means less food to make then."

Blake's brow rose as she looked at the crimsonette in confusion.

"I was uh- wondering if I could dinner for you guys or something. As appreciation for letting me tag along." Ruby muttered as she rubbed her arm.

"Sure, Weiss and I are bunking at the Crow's Nest. If you need us just knock on the first door on the left."

"Okay, see you later then." The elf said as she turned towards the marketplace.

Just as the ebony-haired girl turned towards the direction of her tavern, she remembered why she was out here in the first place. She quickly turned around and ran into the marketplace, buying the needed supplies for the trip.

* * *

Weiss was helping Blake with the supplies that she bought, organizing them into three groups until she saw Blake take some from each pile and placed them into a another pile.

"Blake, what are you doing?" The mage asked as she placed down a water pouch.

"I'm organizing the essentials for the four of us." The Beastfallen replied.

"Four? Is that why you took so long earlier? You recruited someone else?"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll like them."

"I'll be the judge of that." Weiss said before the knocking at their door drew both of their attention.

"Hey Blake! Are you in here?" A familiar voice was heard behind the door, Blake immediately made her way towards the door and opened it.

"Hello Ruby, are you already finished?" The ebony-haired girl asked.

"Yeah, I forgot to ask if any of you guys had allergies so I made a lot of dishes for you to choose from."

"Wait, did she say dishes?" The white-haired girl asked from across the room.

"Yep. Come on, I also found your other companion. She's waiting down here too." Ruby said as she walked down the flight of stairs.

The mage stared at the Beastfallen girl in confusion while Blake had a smug grin on her face, "Let's not keep them waiting."

"Blake Belladonna, explain to me how you managed to find someone like her?"

"Later, hurry up. The food is probably getting cold."

A moment later, both the white and black duo made their way towards the dining room- spotting Ruby and Yang towards the corner of the room. The elf was talking to the chef of the establishment while Yang was eyeing the food, with drool hanging from her mouth. The two quickly made their way past the other patrons who were either eating their own meals or staring at the various dishes that were laid out on the single table.

There were four dishes on the table along with four tankards of water, one was a roasted duck with herbs resting on top of it. Two of the dishes were platters of various foods, from meats and seasoned potatoes with the last dish being a vegetable stew, the broth was lightly brown.

"Looks like someone's hungry." Blake said as she took a seat across from Yang.

"Can't you blame me? I was very skeptical of her being a cook when she said so at the marketplace but now?" The dwarf gestured towards the food before her, "I have no complaints!"

Weiss took her seat next to Blake while Ruby sat next to Yang.

"Sorry about that, the chef here wanted to know how I prepared the duck." Ruby apologized while passing out plates to everyone.

"No worries, although I'm somewhat confused to why the chef would let you use their kitchen." Weiss said.

"Call it a bargain. I teach them a few tricks about cooking, they let me use their equipment." The elf answered.

"Can we please get started? My stomach is dying to try out all this food." Yang whined.

Blake rolled her eyes and she clasped her hands together, Weiss and Yang both followed suit while Ruby just watched.

"Thank you for blessing us with this meal, oh divine one." The three said in chorus.

Just as they finished their prayers, Yang began to stack her plate with as much food as possible. Weiss and Blake soon followed suit while Ruby laughed at their antics.

"This tastes _so_ good." The dwarf said while stuffing her mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth open, brute." Weiss warned before she began to eat, she let out a sequel of delight as she bit into the Blake and Ruby chuckled at her, which earned them an embarrassed look from the mage.

Ruby stayed quiet most of the dinner, laughing when Yang did something ridiculous or when Weiss actually slapped some sense into Yang afterward. Oh how she missed this when she was cast out. She shook her head of these thoughts before she began to doubt herself.

'I got to enjoy this while I can, who knows when this will go away' The elf thought before she took a sip of water from her tankard.

* * *

 _Had some free time to myself, so I wrote another chapter for this story. To those who are wondering, Ruby is speaking Latin. Have a great day/evening._


	3. Welcoming Party

**Miles away from Mantle**

She gripped the reins tightly as she flew over the surrounding forest, the wind rushing past her as her pegasus soared at incredible speeds. Her other hand held a lance, a steel and silver work of art with intricate markings covering from the base to the point of the weapon. Her platinum blonde hair blew with the wind as her olive green eyes remained focused on the town's outline in the distance.

"Arslan! Do we have enough men to protect Mantle?!" A male voice called from behind her.

The tanned girl whipped her head to face him, "We don't, but we'll do everything to protect the sacred town, Bolin."

The black-haired man let out a groan as he flew next to his fellow pegasus knight, "I'm not sure we have enough manpower to defend the people from these beasts."

"Sacrifices are needed if we are to keep Mantle from falling into their hands." Arslan replied.

"Yes ma'am."

"Captain! We have a problem!" Another rider flew next to them, he had black hair with pink tips and his skin was tanned. Unlike the other two knights, he wielded a sword rather than a lance.

"Report Nadir."

"A couple of Beastfallen scouts managed to escape us, they're approaching the town as we speak." He stated.

"Where are they at!" The female knight barked.

"Reese is tailing them as we speak." Nadir replied, unfazed by the sudden outburst.

"Alright, we're pursuing the scouts. Don't let a single one get away!" The platinum blonde ordered, "Glory to the gods!"

"Glory to the gods!" The two knights chanted as they followed the pegasus captain.

* * *

 **Outskirts of Mantle**

"No." Ruby replied as she gripped the handle of her sword.

"Please?" Yang asked in a lighter tone, "Can I just hold it for a moment?"

"No, this sword means a lot to me. I'm not going to let you hold it."

"Come on! Just a minute, I promise I won't break it or anything." Yang whined.

"You touch it and I'll shorten your portions when I cook." The hooded elf warned, effectively shutting up the dwarf.

"You were right Blake," The white-haired girl whispered to her beastfallen companion, "I'm liking her a lot better than Yang."

The ebony-haired girl said nothing as she rolled her eyes, before refocusing on the map in her hand.

The four companions got through Wind Pass just as the snow began to fall, soon afterwards it took them two days to reach Mantle. The trip had been relatively peaceful, Yang found ideal campsites and provided a blessing to protect everyone from the weather, Ruby did all the cooking and hunted game while Weiss and Blake gathered firewood and water.

"Fine, but can I at least see your bow?" Yang questioned after a few minutes.

The elven girl sighed as she handed her bow to the dwarf, who was beaming with excitement. Ruby's bow wasn't as elegantly crafted as her sword but it was still quite a sight, the bow was made out of wood- the color was brown and faded into black as it extended towards the tips. The wood was engraved with many curves and a symbol of a leaf towards the grip of the bow.

Yang tested the bow by pulling back on the string and letting it go, satisfied with its strength she handed the weapon back.

"Where did you get your weapons from? They're all brilliant works of art!"

"The sword belonged to my father, the bow was made by an elven blacksmith. I forgot their name but he had a shop near the western border."

"Dang, I was hoping that I could get a weapon or something similar to your sword. Who made it for your father?"

"I don't know, I never had the chance to ask him." Ruby said with a crestfallen look.

"Oh." The dwarf picked up on the her statement and dropped the conversation.

After a couple of minutes, the four found themselves in a large opening- the grass was mostly covered with a thin blanket of snow and the puddles of water had a thin layer of ice on top. The green-clad elf crouched near one of the puddles and pulled out her water pouch, humming a quiet tune as she filled up her pouch with cold water.

The mage and the dwarf began to start discussing about the rest of the trek towards Mantle while Blake stayed under a dead tree, away from the other three while reading the map. Satisfied, Ruby capped her pouch and tucked it in one of her many bags underneath her cloak. Just as she stood up, she heard footsteps crunch underneath the snow in front of her.

When she turned towards the source, she felt her left shoulder burn as she was suddenly jerked backwards. Ruby let out a shout as she clutched at her shoulder, feeling the dagger that embedded itself into her skin. Three figures emerged from the forest across from the four, all dressed in black cloaks at they ran at them. Blood ran down her arm as it stained her green cloak, the elven girl immediately drew her sword at the attackers and took a defensive stance.

Weiss and Yang were already making their way towards the wounded girl, the dwarf held her axe while the mage pulled out her tome, a white light emitted from the book while she threw on her hood. The white-haired girl raised her book, a yellow glyph formed before her before she raised her right hand. The glyph was a large triangle with a circle inside of it, with many symbols and foreign letters along the circle's outline.

 _"Välk!"_ Weiss casted a single lightning bolt, catching one of the assailants in its path. Sparks flew off his armor while he let out a yelp, before he fell forward onto the snow. He groaned as he crashed against the ground.

Ruby brought her sword upwards, intercepting an incoming dagger in the air before she charged forward with Yang closely trailing behind. The crimsonette ran past the closest attacker, towards the dagger thrower who was hiding in the tree line. The blonde dwarf shield bashed the hooded man as he turned around to face the elf, the force was strong enough to send him flat on his belly.

Before the hooded man can recover, Yang brought the flat side of her axe down onto his head- knocking him out with the impact. Ruby closed the distance between her and the last attacker, in desperation the assailant tossed a dagger at her face while charging straight at her with another dagger. The elf quickly dodged the projectile then parried his attack with her sword.

The impact made the hooded man stumble backwards, Ruby seized the opportunity and took a step forward- driving her sword into his chest. Blood sprayed from his throat as the crimsonette pressed her boot against his corpse, wrenching her blade from his carcass. Droplets of red splattered against the snow, blemishing the white ground as Ruby wiped the blood off on his body, before she sheathed her sword.

Blake made her way across the opening while Yang just stared at the crimsonette in shock.

"What. Are. You. Doing?!" Weiss shouted as she made her way towards the elf.

"What?" Ruby asked, unfazed by her yelling.

"There wasn't a need to _kill_ him!"

"Why not? They were trying to kill us." The elf said as she took a step back from the angry girl.

The mage grabbed her by the collar as she pulled her closer.

"We don't stoop down to their level!" The white-haired girl stated, pausing after every word, "There was no need to take his life!"

"And what? Let them kill us when we turn our backs to them? They were clearly out for blood!" Ruby said as she gestured towards her wounded shoulder.

"What if they were guards? What if they had a family?"

"He attacked us first!" The crimsonette defended.

"That doesn't give you an excuse to kill! What if he thought you were an intruder and decided-"

The elf tuned out her argument as Weiss began to shake her, Ruby was about to argue back until she heard something faint in the distance. It was hard to distinguish with Weiss shaking her and her yelling but it sounded like-

'Flapping' The elven girl eyes widened as she heard someone else's voice from above.

 _"Äikest Välk!"_

Ruby shoved the mage back as a flash of lightning struck in between them, unlike Weiss' earlier spell- it was a bright purple rather than yellow. The white-haired girl landed on her back while the crimsonette slid on her right, the ground before them evaporated the snow and charred the grass they laid undernath.

"You missed, Cap!" A feminine voice shouted as several figures emerged above the forest. All of them were riding pegasus, however two of them were wielding lances while the other two had swords.

"That doesn't change anything. Bolin, Nadir, take care of the two on our right. Reese, go for the archer- I'll take care of the mage." The leader of the four ordered, as she brandished her lance.

Yes ma'am!" The all said as they engaged.

"Reese" dove at Ruby, who ducked as the blade sailed over her head. The elf drew her bow but winced in pain from her shoulder as she tired to notch an arrow.

 _'Faex'_ She internally cursed as her shot missed the pegasus rider. The green-haired girl noticed and became more aggressive, leaving the hooded girl no time to raise her bow.

Yang couldn't get a decent strike at the swordsman as her swings were slower than his attacks. Her axe only made contact with the air every time the rider made a pass, while she shield took the brunt of his slashes. Blake was in the worst position out of the four, her retractable blades couldn't even reach the lancer nor the mount as she constantly dodged his polearm.

The mage and the leader of the pegasus riders stared at each other from a distance. The white-haired girl couldn't make out her face as her helmet covered everything but the mouth, but she sure that the other person had a smug grin on her face. While the leader did wield a lance, Weiss spotted a tome attached to her belt- was she the one who casted the lightning spell? If so-

 _"Lõke!"_ A red glyph appeared before the mage, instead of a triangle it was a square with a circle in the center. Her tome glowed until a fireball launched from the glyph, sailing towards the pegasus rider. The lancer didn't bother to dodge the attack as it struck both the knight and the mount, engulfing them in flames. Once the fire dissipated, the two were unharmed as the leader of the riders planted her lance in the ground and pulled out her tome.

 _"Kõhtu!"_ A green glyph appeared, shaped as diamond while the wind began to pick up as Weiss saw the whirlwind approach her.

 _"Kaitsta!"_ The white-haired girl casted a ward to take the brunt of the spell, however the force was strong enough to blow her back a couple of feet. Her hood was blown back from the attack, while she staggered to rise from the ground.

"You beasts are resilient as ever." The lancer muttered as she prepared another spell. Weiss was about to do the same until something caught her attention. A flying object sailed towards the pegasus captain, making a loud clang as it struck against her chest.

The mage realized that it was a cooking pot that belonged to their resident elf as Ruby lunged at the knight with her sword. The pot knocked the tome out of her hand and the crimsonette's strike spooked the mount, causing it to instinctively dodge away. The leader tried to reach for her planted lance but was too slow to retrieve her weapon. Ruby stood in between her and her weapon.

Weiss was about to utter a thank you until she noticed Ruby's wound, more blood seeped through the cloak as the elf was struggling to keep herself upright. The elven girl had her hood thrown back as her right hand was over her wound, but her gaze did tear away from the unarmed knight. Wait, wasn't she dealing with one of the knights herself?

"Ruby, where's the one you that went after you?" The mage said urgently.

"She crashed into one of the ponds, I'm not sure if she's dead or not but it'll give me some time to help you."

"Speak for yourself! If you don't treat your wound, then-"

"Weiss! You're already at a disadvantage going against her, pegasus gives their rider resistance against magic." Ruby stated, "You wouldn't be able to lay a scratch on her."

"But-" Before the mage could continued the pegasus neighed as it approached them in a cautious pace.

"Weiss? Weiss Schnee?" The pegasus knight questioned as she raised the visor to her helmet. Recognition gleamed in her green eyes as she came closer.

"Wait... Arslan?" The white-haired girl said with uncertainty. Weiss lowered her tome but Ruby stood in between them with her sword in a defensive stance.

"Stop right where you are." The elf warned as she pointed the tip of her blade towards knight.

"Ruby, at ease." Weiss ordered, "She's one of my friends from the academy in Atlas."

"In case you didn't suffer a concussion from her attack, they're trying to _kill_ us."

Realization dawned on Arslan's face before she turned towards her knights, "Nadir! Bolin! Stand down!"

Both the pegasus knights looked at her in confusion as they broke away from their fights, landing a few paces away from Blake and Yang.

"My liege?" Nadir asked as his gaze darted between the dwarf and the captain, "What's wrong?"

The platinum blonde flashed several hand signals to them, immediately Bolin and Nadir sheathed their weapons as they raised their visors.

"They're friends of yours?" The black-haired man asked.

The tanned girl nodded as she turned towards the Nadir, "Find Reese, make sure she's alright."

"Affirmative, ma'am." He said before he took off.

Arslan turned back to face the crimsonette, dismounting her pegasus while remaining a safe distance away from the elf, "My apologies, we were chasing a group of scouts and mistook them for you."

Weiss shot a pleading look to Ruby, who responded by rolling her eyes and sheathing her sword.

"I'm going to fetch my pot, if she stabs you- it's not my fault." The elven girl said as she cupped her wound and left the two by themselves.

"She's... an odd one." Arslan commented as she watched the crimsonette leave.

"She is, but she's helpful in more ways than one." Weiss followed up as she placed her tome in her pouch.

"It's great to see you again Weiss, I see you're doing great in these past years." The knight said as took off her helmet.

"And to you as well, when did you become a pegasus knight?" The mage asked.

"I joined the knights two years ago, but I didn't imagine that I'll meet you out here."

"Me too, although we could've met under better conditions."

"Likewise..." Arslan paused as she rubbed her arm, "...how are you holding up?"

"Huh?" Weiss asked.

"I mean, your quest. How's your progress on it?"

"Oh, right. Our last clue gave us directions towards Mantle. Specifically the church."

"The church?" The platinum blonde brow rose, "I heard that place has been closed down for hundreds of years."

"Then that sounds like the next clue is probably there." Weiss declared, "Would you like to accompany us?"

"It would be a pleasure to fight alongside you again, just like old times."

"Just like old times." The mage whispered as she instinctively raised her hand towards her chest.

Arslan noticed this and both her brows furrowed, "You haven't told your friends about your heritage yet?"

"Only one, but the other two..." The white-haired girl let her sentence trail off as she glanced towards the blonde dwarf, who was talking to Blake.

"I see, although you should probably tell them sooner than later. Otherwise it's going to be a mess when it does come up."

"Have you told your friends about yours?"

"I have, although Reese wouldn't speak to me for a day. Eventually they came to terms with it as time went on."

The white-haired girl responded with a nod, "I'll take your words to heart."

"You better, gods know what would happen to you if you don't listen to me." Arslan jested.

"Hey! That was only one time!" Weiss defended.

"Yeah, one time too many. Honestly I still feel bad for that student who took the hit from your spell."

"We are _not_ discussing that right now." The mage huffed before a small smile formed on her face, "Thank you, for tagging along."

"It's not a problem, I'll write a report to my Order when we arrive in Mantle."

"Alright, in the meantime I'll search for an inn for us to stay in."

"That sounds-"

"Hey Weiss!" Yang interrupted as she slowly made her way through the snow towards them, "What are we going to do with these guys?"

"We can take it from here." Bolin said as he began to tie up the unconscious men who were still lying in the snow.

"Who are these guys anyway?" The dwarf asked.

"Beastfallen scouts, one of their tribes settled near the border as of late so we've been assigned to deal with any stragglers or scouts that come our way." He replied before checking around, "Wasn't there more of them?"

"Ah, Ruby killed one of them."

"Shame, could've questioned him for more information but what's done is done."

"Oi, Bolin! Could you help me out here?" Nadir called as he was carrying the unconscious green-haired girl over his shoulder.

"A little busy here-" The black-haired man turned towards the crimsonette, "Could you help him? You were the one responsible for-"

Ruby interrupted him with a groan, followed by a huff, "Fine, but don't blame me if I drop her."

Weiss ignored her remark while Yang shook her head. The two quickly gathered their belongings as Arslan and Bolin each placed a scout on their mounts. A few minutes later a loud thud was heard, followed by shouting.

"How did _you_ drop her?!" Ruby yelled.

* * *

 _Still alive, just buried beneath many updates for the rest of my stories. Thanks for taking your time to read this!_


End file.
